Doctoral Positions In Computational Visual Media Research

Department of Communication and Media Research

Doctoral Positions In Computational Visual Media Research (Prof. Dr. Jing Zeng) 80 %

Start of employment Earliest July 1, 2026, or by agreement, temporary

The Department of Communication and Media Research (IKMZ) is seeking two PhD candidates to join the SNSF-funded project VizTox – Visual toxicity in the digital platform age (link), which investigates the transcultural circulation and impact of harmful visual content online.

This is a fully funded doctoral position (80% FTE) for an initial period of three years, with the possibility of extension to a fourth year. The annual gross salary starts at CHF 50,403 in the first year and increases to CHF 53,617 by the third year.

Your responsibilities

• Collect, process, and analyze data related to the production or/and circulation of potentially harmful visual content online.
• Contribute to academic publications and present research findings at international conferences.
• Collaborate with international project partners and research teams.
• Complete a doctoral dissertation.

Your profile

• Master's degree in Communication Science, Computer Science, Data Science, Digital Humanities, or a closely related field.
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or R will be considered an advantage.
• Proven interest or experience in computational social science, digital media research, or visual communication.

Relevant computational skills may include (but not limited to):

• Computer vision (e.g., image classification, visual feature extraction, deep learning for visual data)
• Natural language processing (NLP), multimodal analysis, and multimodal large language models (MLLMs)
• Machine learning and data mining for large-scale social media datasets
• Network analysis
• Research engineering skills (e.g., data pipeline development, tool prototyping, or system integration)

Additional relevant expertise may include:

• Digital ethnography to studying online communities and content creators
• Critical visual analysis or visual culture research, semiotics
• Visual Discourse or narrative analysis of multimodal online content
• Comparative research of translational media practices

• Content moderation research focusing on visual harm

• Experience in studying harmful online content-especially misogyny, misinformation, or propaganda-is an advantage.

• Strong command of English (German is an important asset), along with independence, creative problem-solving, and the ability to work effectively in a team.

Notes: We value complementary skill sets and do not expect any single candidate to cover a wide range of methodologies mentioned above.

Information on your application

How to apply

Please compile the following documents into a single PDF file and submit them via the UZH job portal (blue button) below:

• Letter of motivation
• CV, clearly listing research experience and methodology skills relevant to the project
• Copies of degrees and relevant transcripts
• Contact information of two references (no recommendation letters required at this point)
• List of scientific publications (if applicable)

Application deadline

The review of applications will start on February 1st, 2026. The positions will remain open until it is filled. For any inquiries regarding the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Jing Zeng.

What we offer

Work-Life Balance

• Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
• Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH

Learning and Development

• Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
• Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich

Food

• Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
• Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution

Healthcare

• Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
• Free seasonal flu vaccinations
• Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower

Discounts

• Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space
• Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions
• Special conditions on hotel reservations

Conditions of Employment

• Policies of the UZH
• Most UZH staff are employed according to public law

International Services

• Support for people from outside Switzerland

Campuses

• Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren
• Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg

Location
Department of Communication and Media Research

Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland

Further information
Questions about the job

Jing Zeng

Prof. Dr.

Questions about the application procedure

Pinar Tidin

HR Officer

Working at UZH

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